diff --git a/src/es_archiver/lib/indices/delete_index_stream.js b/src/es_archiver/lib/indices/delete_index_stream.js
index 3f49562fd0b4983..65a0da24cb55a3c 100644
--- a/src/es_archiver/lib/indices/delete_index_stream.js
+++ b/src/es_archiver/lib/indices/delete_index_stream.js
@@ -1,27 +1,40 @@
 import { Transform } from 'stream';
 
 import { get } from 'lodash';
+import { isDeleteWhileSnapshotInProgressError, waitForSnapshotCompletion } from './in_progress_snapshot';
 
-export function createDeleteIndexStream(client, stats) {
+async function deleteIndex(client, stats, index) {
+  let retryIfSnapshotInProgress = true;
 
-  async function deleteIndex(index) {
+  async function attempt() {
     try {
       await client.indices.delete({ index });
       stats.deletedIndex(index);
-    } catch (err) {
-      if (get(err, 'body.error.type') !== 'index_not_found_exception') {
-        throw err;
+    } catch (error) {
+      if (retryIfSnapshotInProgress && isDeleteWhileSnapshotInProgressError(error)) {
+        retryIfSnapshotInProgress = false;
+        await waitForSnapshotCompletion(client, stats, index);
+        await attempt();
+        return;
+      }
+
+      if (get(error, 'body.error.type') !== 'index_not_found_exception') {
+        throw error;
       }
     }
   }
 
+  await attempt({ waitIfSnapshotInProgress: true });
+}
+
+export function createDeleteIndexStream(client, stats) {
   return new Transform({
     readableObjectMode: true,
     writableObjectMode: true,
     async transform(record, enc, callback) {
       try {
         if (!record || record.type === 'index') {
-          await deleteIndex(record.value.index);
+          await deleteIndex(client, stats, record.value.index);
         } else {
           this.push(record);
         }
diff --git a/src/es_archiver/lib/indices/in_progress_snapshot.js b/src/es_archiver/lib/indices/in_progress_snapshot.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000000..46c9ea68d4eef3c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/es_archiver/lib/indices/in_progress_snapshot.js
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+import { get } from 'lodash';
+
+// see https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/blob/99f88f15c5febbca2d13b5b5fda27b844153bf1a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/SnapshotsInProgress.java#L313-L319
+const TERMINAL_SNAPSHOT_STATUSES = [
+  'SUCCESS',
+  'FAILED',
+  'ABORTED'
+];
+
+/**
+ * Determine if an error is complaining about a delete while
+ * a snapshot is in progress
+ * @param  {Error} error
+ * @return {Boolean}
+ */
+export function isDeleteWhileSnapshotInProgressError(error) {
+  return get(error, 'body.error.reason', '')
+    .startsWith('Cannot delete indices that are being snapshotted');
+}
+
+/**
+ * Wait for the any snapshot in any respository that is
+ * snapshotting this index to complete.
+ *
+ * @param  {EsClient} client
+ * @param  {EsArchiverStats} stats
+ * @param  {string} index the name of the index to look for
+ * @return {Promise<undefined>}
+ */
+export async function waitForSnapshotCompletion(client, stats, index) {
+  const isSnapshotInProgress = async (repository, snapshot) => {
+    const { snapshots: [status] } = await client.snapshot.status({
+      repository,
+      snapshot,
+    });
+
+    return !TERMINAL_SNAPSHOT_STATUSES.includes(status.state);
+  };
+
+  const getInProgressSnapshots = async (repository) => {
+    const { snapshots: inProgressSnapshots } = await client.snapshot.get({
+      repository,
+      snapshot: '_current'
+    });
+    return inProgressSnapshots;
+  };
+
+  for (const repository of Object.keys(await client.snapshot.getRepository())) {
+    const allInProgress = await getInProgressSnapshots(repository);
+    const found = allInProgress.find(s => s.indices.includes(index));
+
+    if (!found) {
+      continue;
+    }
+
+    stats.waitingForInProgressSnapshot(index);
+    while (await isSnapshotInProgress(repository, found.snapshot)) {
+      // wait a bit before getting status again
+      await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 500));
+    }
+
+    return;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/es_archiver/lib/stats.js b/src/es_archiver/lib/stats.js
index efe85833ac95bc2..b4c3d918b8d64a0 100644
--- a/src/es_archiver/lib/stats.js
+++ b/src/es_archiver/lib/stats.js
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ export function createStats(name, log) {
         deleted: false,
         created: false,
         archived: false,
+        waitForSnapshot: 0,
         configDocs: {
           upgraded: 0,
           tagged: 0,
@@ -32,6 +33,11 @@ export function createStats(name, log) {
       info('Skipped restore for existing index %j', index);
     }
 
+    waitingForInProgressSnapshot(index) {
+      getOrCreate(index).waitForSnapshot += 1;
+      info('Waiting for snapshot of %j to complete');
+    }
+
     deletedIndex(index) {
       getOrCreate(index).deleted = true;
       info('Deleted existing index %j', index);